TATA PROJECTS | Big-Ticket Opportunities

While all suppliers are important in the process, the company's typical inputs are for cement, steel, minor minerals and some brought-out equipment items.

For the past two years, Tata Projects has recorded a growth rate of over 30 per cent. Given that we have a Rs 30,000-crore order backlog to date, we hope to continue with the same growth rate,says Vinayak K Deshpande, Managing Director, Tata Projects. The company most often works with EPC contracts, which limits its funding requirement to management of working capital. Here we are one of the best in the industry, tightly managing it to sub 20 per cent level,he adds.

The company's key focus across all big-ticket projects is to finish before schedule.And, in Deshpande's words, this calls for clear thinking on construction methods, schedule planning, resource and procurement strategy and cash flow, and therefore, requires highly integrated working with concerned stakeholders.

Making headlines, Tata Projects, in a JV with Daewoo E&C of South Korea, has secured an $850-million contract (Rs 5,612 crore) to design and build a part of India's longest sea-bridge: The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL). The Tata JV has been awarded Package-2, involving the construction of a 7.8-km bridge section. The project will use the reverse circulation drill method for the foundation and erection of a large block (180 m) orthotropic steel deck structure at navigational span. Specialised steel will be imported from Japan for fabrication. Other recent projects awarded or under implementation include the Dravyavati River Rejuvenation Project in Jaipur; Lucknow Metro Project; Mumbai Underground Metro Project; Super Critical Thermal Power Plant BoP at Krishnapattanam (Phase-2); and the Dedicated Freight Corridor projects.

For the Dravyavati River Rejuvenation Project, with a total project cost of Rs 1,670 crore, Tata Projects is setting up five sewage treatment plants; the river bed is being redeveloped with 80 check dams, three large parks, an experience centre, walkways and greenery along the banks.

This apart, while the Lucknow Metro project involves the development of a 7-km underground tunnel, works for the Mumbai Underground Metro include the design and construction of three underground stations. Further, the company is executing the second phase of the 800-MW thermal power plant BoP at Krishnapattanam. Moreover, it has been involved in building the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors.

While all suppliers are important in the process, the company's typical inputs are for cement, steel, minor minerals and certain brought-out equipment items. Consistent and reliable sourcing of these inputs is critical to complete projects before time,says Deshpande. He adds that the company has been partnering with suppliers for leveraging their technology and innovations v this is also the case for cement and steel. Through these big projects,says Deshpande, we will require a huge amount of concrete, reinforced steel and structural steel, and purchase heavy special-purpose machinery like automated track laying equipment, tunnel boring machines, various types of formwork, etc.Significantly, these projects generate employment for close to 40,000 people.

Other critical inputs are design, engineering and field survey data, which requires for close collaboration with design houses. Further, the IT industry is helping to enhance productivity in these projects.

We use IoT, GPS-based tracking equipment and various design software to drive efficient collaboration between all agencies engaged in a project,shares Deshpande.